Self-Control the Ben Franklin Way
In a new post on Lifehacker, Adam Dachis talks about why self-control is so hard to achieve and maintain. Although his arguments are very logic, I could not stop thinking about why some people seem to control themselves better than others, without any special "training". Some people actually make a conscious effort to master their emotions. Some just come wired with that mechanism. It's like their Self-Control button is always ON and it never turns itself OFF. It's not that they don't have emotions; they do. They just don't let their emotions control them or the situations they are in. And, because of that, their head is very clear and their decisions are very logical.
I found from experience - mine and others' - that the only way to achieve self-control is to wanting really badly to master your emotions. We can read entire libraries of books on self-control and emotion mastering. The trick is to actually apply what we learn.
The best program I found to build and maintain one's self-control is Ben Franklin's 13 Virtue Program. To achieve moral perfection, Franklin came up with 13 virtues he wanted to master. For one week, he would focus on one virtue, until he mastered it. While you might have different virtues you want to master, the system works pretty well: at the end of the day, you examine your day and mark in a small notebook the number of times you failed to master each of the 13 virtues. The goal is to have a nice, clean, spotless space for the virtue you are trying to master that week. To make it stick, if you fail, you might want to add another day to the challenge for that virtue, until you get 7 spotless days in a row.
Here are Ben Franklin's 13 virtues:
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
And the form he used:
What are the virtues you are trying to master?
Posted by Terra3.0 at 5/18/2011 3:09 AM 
Categories: Self-Improvement, Positive Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Self-Starters
Tags: Entrepreneurs selfimprovement
Categories: Self-Improvement, Positive Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Self-Starters
Tags: Entrepreneurs selfimprovement
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